Hana-bi (Fireworks)
Dir: Takeshi Kitano
1997
*****
Hana-bi is Takeshi Kitano's most personal work to date. It seems like all his feelings, that he'd bottled up for so long, were suddenly triggered and then released after his near death motorcycle accident. In his autobiography it says that after he committed suicide (Beat, his alter-ego) he felt real but at the same time uncertain of his future, mainly due to a lack of confidence. It must be hard, being the most famous man in Japan, producing No 1 TV shows, Comedy, best selling books etc to huge success but when he directs films (his real passion) he is disregarded and misunderstood. His films have had a much larger impact in the western world, why? I'm not sure but this certainly isn't a typical Japanese film, its not a typical western film either, its truly original and a real raw insight into the man and his emotions. Hard hitting but truly beautiful, Hana-bi is something special, the metamorphosis of a genius.